The True Queen
Ratings13
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings13
Average rating3.7
One of NPR's 50 Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade In the follow-up to the "delightful" Regency fantasy novel (NPR.org) Sorcerer to the Crown, a young woman with no memories of her past finds herself embroiled in dangerous politics in England and the land of the fae. When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can’t remember anything, except that they are bound as only sisters can be. They have been cursed by an unknown enchanter, and slowly Sakti starts to fade away. The only hope of saving her is to go to distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal has established an academy to train women in magic. If Muna is to save her sister, she must learn to navigate high society, and trick the English magicians into believing she is a magical prodigy. As she's drawn into their intrigues, she must uncover the secrets of her past, and journey into a world with more magic than she had ever dreamed.
Series
2 primary booksSorcerer Royal is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by Zen Cho.
Reviews with the most likes.
Sequels to books I enjoyed make me extremely wary. Too often I find that they just don't seem to capture the same feelings as the original, and I'm left feeling slightly sad and unsatisfied. You just can't always capture lightning twice, I guess.
Not so with this book. Actually, I daresay I enjoyed this one even slightly more than the first. The focus of this book isn't on the cast from the first book (though they do play minor roles and cameos), but instead follows two sisters, Muna and Sakti, who are separated from each other while venturing through the fairy realm to England. Muna makes it to England and Prunella's school, but Sakti does not. The story follows Muna as she tries to reunite with her sister despite overwhelming opposition, and the discovery of why they were separated in the first place.
While I was able to guess the twist relatively early on, I still liked how the author handled it and still manage to make parts unexpected. The story just felt...fun. Like a magical romp with slightly high stakes, like a brighter Harry Potter, maybe. The story is self contained, nothing needs a sequel, and it leaves you feeling glad to have read it at the end.
